The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

On June 1st, TNC RI got a jump start on National Trails Day with 400 people in the town of Little Compton celebrating the opening of the Dundery Brook Trail. This 2.7 mile round trip stroll through a forested wetland includes a 3,100 foot long handicapped accessible boardwalk path connecting to a 4,100 foot long grass path around a pond on the Conservancy’s 116-acre Bumble Bee Preserve. TNC takes great pride in letting people know that only three trees were cut down in the path of the boardwalk that zigzags across vernal pools, a sizable brook, two stone walls, and a treasure trove of biodiversity. Made entirely of native black locust timber, local farmers claim that it will last 5 years longer than stone. This is not just a new winding wooden path that promises dry feet but an outdoor classroom for the town’s K – 8 school that lies adjacent to the trailhead. In partnership with the Audubon Society of RI and the school, curriculum is being developed for each grade and nature programs will begin in the fall. Partnership has been at the heart of this project for the past four years and the community totally stepped up to raise the more than half a million dollars that it took to create this stunning public recreational resource.